Off the Roof
by Astra H. Lowelle
Summary: James Potter will do anything for a kiss from Lily.


"Let me down _NOW!_ "

The yell came from a corridor to my left. I hefted my bag and sprinted down the hall.

James Potter and Sirius Black were levitating Severus Snape through the air across the hallway, and Sev was yelling at the top of his lungs.

 _"Let me down this instant or I'll-"_

"You'll what?" Sirius challenged coolly. "Going to wipe your nose on us? Oooh, James, we'd better let him down quickly!"

 _"It's not funny!"_ I shouted at them. "What on Earth are you doing?'

"Hey, Evans!" James grinned, flipping Severus over in a sort of aerial cartwheel. "Snivelly's demonstrating his fantastic acrobat skills. He's very good, isn't he?"

"I _said_ it isn't funny!" I said angrily. "Let him go!"

"Sure!" James agreed. "As soon as you give me a kiss."

"Yeah, right after you jump off the roof," I scoffed.

James looked at me oddly for a moment. Then he grinned confidently.

"Challenge accepted!"

Then he beckoned to me, and to Sirius, who was still levitating Severus. He marched onward, leading us out of the corridors, until we reached the entrance hall.

"And now," James declared. "I shall jump off the roof. Everyone's out on the lawns, so it's the perfect time. I jump the roof in front of the whole school; Lily, you kiss me, also in front of the whole school; and then we let Snivellus down."

 _"WHAT?"_ I yelped. "You thought I was serious?"

"I'm Sirius," Sirius deadpanned. "You're mixing us up. Yeah, James is going to jump off the roof."

To emphasize his point, he forced Severus into a cheerleader's pose, both arms splayed, one leg kicked high. Sev struggled harder than ever, bellowing at Sirius to let him down, using a rather inventive array of filthy words.

James led the three of us out into the sunny grounds. Everyone was taking this weekend to relax outside in the lovely weather. Severus stopped yelling, devoting all his efforts solely upon kicking Sirius in the head.

Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were sitting under a tree. Remus was nagging Peter to do his homework, and Peter was thinking up excuses not to do it. They both looked up at us, and smiled. Peter laughed at Severus, who was still trying to kick Sirius in the head despite Sirius still forcing him to do ridiculously complicated acrobatics. I never knew Sev could do a full 360 aerial handspring so well.

"All right, everyone," James announced loudly to the school at large, most of whom looked up, interested. The Sirius + Severus Show drew quite a few chuckles. Severus went dark red, and redoubled his efforts of kicking his captor.

"Now," James continued, "I shall do a feat of legends. I shall jump from the roof of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to earn a kiss from my beloved Lily Evans, after which Sirius here-" Sirius bowed deeply, and above him, he forced Sev to bow as well- "will release Snivelly from his gymnastics show."

There were a few boos, and someone yelled, "You're out of your tree! You'll kill yourself!"

"For a kiss from Lily-" James sighed dramatically. I rolled my eyes.

James pointed his wand at himself at intoned, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

He rose into the air like a bottle from a cork, higher and higher-

W ith a shout of triumph, he landed neatly on the school roof. I had to shade my eyes to see him, and I hardly could. Would he really do it? I didn't know...Well, yes, I rather think I did. Nothing stopped James Potter- except-

"JAMES POTTER!"

Professor McGonagall came storming out of the castle. One look from her told me we were all in very deep trouble.

"GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

She has to shout to make herself heard over the crowd noise. James yelled down to her, but she missed it over the racket. James yelled again, and this time, we heard it- "Right you are, Professor!"

And with that, James did the stupidest thing in the history of stupid things that crowned every stupid thing ever done on the grounds of Hogwarts.

He leapt off of the roof.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

James hurtled down, flying so fast he was almost a blur. His shout sailed into the breeze, his arms widespread, his cloak streaming behind him like a banner. I clapped both hands to my mouth in shock. He'd actually-

Sirius yelled even louder than his best friend. James was three seconds away from crashing. With a neat flick of his wand, Sirius sent Severus right underneath James' path to soften the floor. They collided with a sickening crunch, and they both landed on the grass, Sev buried under James, James' head lolling over to one side. He's been knocked unconscious by his fall.

A great bellow from underneath him announced that Severus had not suffered the same fate. He shoved James' limp form bodily off himself, then stormed at Sirius, punching him hard in the nose, then running off before he could retaliate.

Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Professor McGonagall rushed to James. I followed, a bit slower.

Everything had gone strangely quiet. McGonagall did a Reviving Spell on James, whose eyelids fluttered, then opened. He blinked bemusedly up at us. I leaned down next to him, and he smiled.

"Where's my kiss?" he asked faintly.

A great shout of laughter rocked the place. Sirius grinned, helping James to sit up. James looked inquiringly at me, cocking an eyebrow. "So?"

I laughed too, sitting down beside him. Remus seemed to be restraining Peter, who had both hands over his mouth. I grinned, leaned in, and kissed James on the cheek. I held there for a moment, then pulled away.

For a moment, I thought James had passed out again. Then he opened his eyes. They had gone all dreamy and quite odd.

"My head doesn't hurt anymore," he announced bemusedly.

Remus, Peter, and Sirius roared with laughter. Even McGonagall's lips twitched.

"All right, Romeo, let's get you to the hospital wing," Sirius proclaimed, still shaking with laughter. He helped James up. I accompanied them back to the castle.

"Wow," I commented later, once James had been firmly settled into a bed in the hospital wing. "You really _do_ like me, don't you?"

"For a few years, yeah," Sirius cut in. "Well- it worked."

"So, d'you want to go out later?" James asked, sheepishly fingering his turban of bandages. "When I get this thing off?"

"You know," I said thoughtfully, "I don't see why not. You've finally done it, James Potter."

The resounding cheers that followed from the four boys made the noise from before seem dwarfed.


End file.
